Insider Tips for saving money during your Holiday Working Visa in Australia
No-brainer tips to help you save heaps while working & living in Australia. The things I wish I knew from the very beginning...
Cook for yourself, especially until you start earning money
The easiest way to keep your bank account happy is to buy your own groceries right off the bat. Eating and drinking in Australia can be very expensive, and until you have incoming money eating out shouldn’t be a regular thing, if you want to be smart with your money. However, cheap Australian wine is always available!
Fun Tip: One of the best parts about living on Australia's east coast is that it's typically always beautiful outside, so having some beverages in a park is a backpacker speciality!
Spend your days doing free activities
When you're in the sunniest country on the planet, there's endless outdoor activities. Visit the parks and botanical gardens! Each city in Australia has gorgeous free parks to hang in.
Lay on the beach, visit a beach, whatever…just go! Australia’s beaches are so beautiful and every city besides Brisbane is practically on the coast line. There are many different coastal walks to discover! (Sydney's Coogee to Bondi Coastal walk is a must.)
A lot of hostels hosts free 'explore the city tours' too, where a group gets together and explores the city.
Book all your excursions & accommodation in advance
If you know in advance that you are going to be somewhere for a while, a lot of hostels offer discounts on weekly and monthly rates. These special rates are usually on their private website or can be asked about over the phone. Rates like this will not be available through HostelWorld.com or HostelBookers.com
Booking in advance applies for tours too, as a lot fill up quick during the summer months. If you know when you're wanting to travel, book in the winter months (June-August) it's much cheaper, especially for excursions such as Whitsundays and Fraser Island up north.
Live in a central location
Unless you can afford or want to buy a car ( I only recommend this if you want to drive up the east coast and see Australia that way.) Otherwise, Buses, trains and bicycles are all you have. Try finding a hostel or rent a place that is nice and central because commutes can be awfully time-consuming. From my experience Australian transit is unfortunately not the most time efficient.
Claim your tax refund
Around July, depending on when you arrived in Australia, claiming your tax back can be very beneficial in contributing to your finances. As a temporary resident this claim allows backpacker to recieve all their taxes back, mine ended up being $4,500!!! That was more than enough for me to continue traveling, I went straight to Fiji!
Ready to make your move?
Incase you missed it, here is a Complete Guide to How you can Work and Travel in Australia xxx.